Shands Healthcare to Pay $26M to Settle Healthcare Fraud Claims

Shands Healthcare, which operates a network of health care providers in Florida, including a teaching hospital and a medical center, has agreed to pay $26 million to settle allegations that the company knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs, the U.S. Department of Justice announced last week. 

Allegedly, hospitals operated by Shands Healthcare knowingly submitted inpatient claims to Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE for certain services and procedures that Shands Healthcare knew were correctly billable only as outpatient services or procedures.

The lawsuit was originally filed by Terry Myers, President of healthcare consulting firm YPRO Corp., under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act.  The False Claims Act allows private citizens with knowledge of fraud against the government to sue on behalf of the government and share in the recovery.  Myers’ portion of the settlement has yet to be determined.

The Chanler Group, in association with the Hirst Law Group, represents whistleblowers who take action under the False Claims Act to report fraud committed against the federal and state governments.  We have years of experience representing whistleblower clients who expose every kind of fraud against the government, including health care fraud, contract fraud, and tax fraud.  Read more about our expertise in False Claims Act cases and how you can take action.